LYRA AND KAG COMET REPORT AND UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE SUMMER M...

Not much change from last month although I have updated and added a few more things that maybe of interest.....

COMETS:

Comet 17P/Holmes: has now faded to beyond magnitude 6 and has expanded into the dark background of the sky now in the Constellation Of Auriga on the border with Gemini-it is now very diffuse and difficult if not impossible to pick out against the North Western Evening Twilight.

 

C/2007 Comet Boattini which attained a reasonable Magnitude 9 by the beginning of May this year is now lost to the South Western Evening Twilight and on June 20th it should reach its best brightness of 5.5 although it will be in a daylight sky and won't be able to be Observed in the Constellation of Lepus underneath Orion and too close to the Sun to be seen around this time of the year, when it returns in the very early morning Twilight during mid July at Magnitude 6.9 to 7 it may be a good small Telescope or Binocular object to be observed and picked out, from then on it will fade and be beyond magnitude 10 by the end of the Summer around late August so not a very good viewing window for this one either side of the Summer Solistice but its one I will be looking out for during the Summer months-I didn't get to see this in the early part of this Month though.

 

Another Comet that may become Binocular Bright in 2009 of next year is C/2007 N3 Lulin which will become Observable after the new year 2009 in January in the early morning skies around magnitude 8 becoming Binocular bright in the Winter skies of Feburary whilst entering the Evening skies around the 12th of that month and becoming a good viewing Object around magnitude 5.9 on the 20th moving from Virgo into Leo and not starting to fade much before mid March when it will be Magnitude 8.5.

 

There are around 16 other Comets worldwide to be observed by amature astronomers at the moment but with Magnitude ranges of 11.5 to 14 are a little too faint to be seen in the Summer twilight skies for us Northern Observers.

 

As I have reported once before if I do see and Observe any of these Comets I will send out text and Email alerts to notify Observers in where best to look for these Phenomena.

 

JUNE PHENOMENA:

 

7th June: Mercury at Inferior Conjuction

8th June: Mars is 1.1 Degrees North of the Moon and a daylight Occultation from New Zealand

9th June: Venus is in Superior Conjuction Saturn is 3 Degrees North of the Moon

16th June: Possible June Lyrids although maybe very unfavourable due to azure twilight as well as a Gibbous Moon in the way

17th June: Antares is 0.2 Degrees North of the Moon

19th June: Mercury is Stationary

20th June: Midsummers day and the Summer Solstice at 23.50 hours U.T an Interesting and noting point this year about the Mid Summer Solstice is that it occurs just before midnight in G.M.A.T so therefore in affect the Solstice happens on 2 days one for 20th (23.50 Hours G.M.A.T) and one for the 21st (00.50 Hours B.S.T) Jupiter is 2 Degrees North of the Moon, Pluto is Stationary

23rd June:Neptune will be 0.8 Degrees South of the Moon

25th June: Uranus is 4 Degrees South of the Moon

26th to 27th June: Possible June Bootids maybe several per hour around the Early morning at 02.30 U.T for U.K Observers-worth checking out for.

27th June: Uranus Stationary

 

SKYLIGHT: The lighter Evenings will not give way much to deep sky viewing this Month but there is still the Moon and Planets such as Saturn and Mars in the Evening sky and Jupiter now becoming very prominent in the South East around Midnight

 

PLANETS:

Mercury: passes through Inferior Conjuction this month and is not Observable.

Venus: Passes through Superior Conjuction on June 9th and also will not be Observable.

Mars: Still reatains a reasonable Evening Observing window amongst the stars of Leo but as the Month proceed the viewing window will be reduced in the Evening Twilight and setting before Midnight at the end of June.

Jupiter: Is in the South Eastern sky and is unmistakeably very bright heading for the evening skies and an oppisition in July.

Saturn: Still in Leo and Mars will close in on this but only in the the low evening Twilight at the end of this month.
Uranus and Neptune: Uranus: now moving away from the South Eastern Morning Twilight and may be visible with Binoculars before Nautical Twilight, Neptune is now reasonably placed in the Morning skies in the Constellation of Capricornus and can be seen with a good Telescope.

Dwarf Planet Pluto: At opposition on 20th June low in sagittarius and Observable all night

THE MOON: First quarter was on the 10th June, full Moon will occur on the 18th June, last quarter occurs on the 26th June and new Moon is on 3rd of July.

Perigee: 3rd June at 13.25 U.T, Distance: 357.254 km, Diameter: 33' 27"

Apogee: 16th June at 17.30 U.T, Distance 406,225 km, Diameter 29' 25"

 

Space Shuttle Mission: Blasted off from Kennedy space center at 21.02 Hours G.M.T 5.02 pm EDT on May 31st to return to the ISS for 3 space walks to assemble various parts and has already delivered Japans Science logistics Laboratory Kibo which is quite large and weighs several Tons.

 

LIGHTING UP TIMES: (all times BST)

15th June Will be 21.49 Hours

30th June will be 21.51 Hours

16th July will be 21.40 Hours

31st July will be 21.19 Hours

 

Good Clear skies.....